1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foaming die for forming an armrest for an automotive seat. In particular, the invention is directed to a foaming die for forming a rotatable armrest adapted to be mounted on a lateral side of seat back of the seat in a vertically rotatable manner.
2. Description of Prior Art
There has been known a rotatable armrest of the type adapted to be rotatably mounted on a lateral side of a seat back of a vehicle or automotive seat. In this particular sort of rotatable armrest arrangement in the seat, as disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-236986 for instance, the seat back has, formed in its lateral side, an outwardly projected shaft and a stopper pin, and the armrest is formed with a bearing hole and an arcuate slit at one side thereof, with such an arrangement that the outwardly projected shaft is rotatably inserted in the bearing hole of the armrest, while the stopper pin is slidably inserted in the arcuate slit of the armrest, thereby allowing the armrest itself to be rotatable about that shaft in vertical direction at the lateral side of seat back. Such vertical rotation is limited within the vertical range defined by the upper and lower edges of the arcuate slit, such that the armrest may be positioned at an upright storage (non-use) point when the stopper pin is brought to contact with the upper edge of arcuate slit and may be positioned at a horizontally extending use point when the stopper pin is brought to contact with lower edge of arcuate slit.
Forming this rotatable type of armrest has been disclosed from the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-236986 for example. According thereto, a foaming die assembly designed to form such rotatable-type armrest is provided, which comprises an upper die and a lower die, each having a recessed die surface formed therein. In a process for forming an armrest, at first, an armrest frame is placed within a trim cover assembly having a predetermined shape of armrest body. Both armrest frame and trim cover assembly has holes. Then, a setting shaft member (i.e. xe2x80x9csetting jigxe2x80x9d stated in the publication) is inserted through the holes of those armrest frame and trim cover assembly. It is noted that the recessed die surface of each of the upper and lower dies includes local recessed regions to receive such setting shaft member. Therefore, the assembled unit of the armrest frame and trim cover assembly equipped with the setting shaft member is placed in the recessed die surfaces of the upper and lower dies, while placing the setting shaft member in the local recessed regions. In this prior art, the setting shaft member serves to set both armrest frame and trim cover assembly at a given position in the upper and lower dies. Next, a liquid foaming material is injected into the dies, and then, the foregoing assembled unit is subjected to foaming therein, thereby creating a foam padding in that assembled unit in an integral manner, so that a resulting armrest unit is produced. After removing the resulting armrest unit from both two dies, the setting shaft member is drawn out therefrom to leave the corresponding hole therein. The seat back, to which such armrest unit is to be mounted, typically has a bearing shaft projected from the lateral wall thereof. By inserting that bearing shaft in the hole of the armrest unit and bolting the free end of the bearing shaft, the armrest unit per se is rotatably attached to a lateral side of seat back.
However, according to the above-described conventional foaming die assembly, the setting shaft member is prevented by only one stopper pin against rotation and dislocation in the local recessed region stated above, and the problem therewith is that the armrest frame can not be precisely set at a given position within the trim cover assembly, resulting in a undesired armrest in which the frame is dislocated from the given position.
In view of the above-stated drawbacks, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved foaming die for forming an armrest, in which a trim cover assembly is placed, with a frame precisely positioned and retained at a given point in the trim cover assembly against dislocation from the given point.
In order to achieve such purpose, in accordance with the present invention, in combination with an armrest comprising a trim cover assembly and a frame provided in the trim cover assembly, the frame including a connection means and an opening means defined in the connection means, there is provided a foaming die which basically comprises:
an upper die element having a recessed die surface adapted to accommodate one portion of the trim cover assembly therein, the upper die element including a first local recessed portion in the recessed die surface thereof;
a lower die element having a recessed die surface adapted to accommodate another portion of the trim cover assembly, the lower die element including a second local recessed portion in the recessed die surface thereof;
a pair of core die elements, each including:
a main body portion adapted for close contact with respective pair of lateral walls of the trim cover assembly;
a projection means projecting from said main body portion, the projection means being adapted to be inserted in said opening means of said connection means; and
an arm means extending from said main body portion;
with such an arrangement that, when the pair of core die elements are contacted with the respective the pair of lateral walls of trim cover assembly, the projection and arm means of one of the pair of core die elements are respectively contacted with the projection and arm means of another of the pair of core die elements;
the pair of core die elements being so formed as to be fitted in and between the first and second local recessed portions respectively of the upper and lower die elements; and
the upper and lower die elements being able to be mated together to accommodate a whole of the trim cover assembly and core die elements therein.
Other various advantages and structural features of the present invention will become apparent from reading of the descriptions hereinafter, with reference to the drawings.